IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa women’s basketball team, along with the Big Ten, announced its 2019-20 schedule on Friday.

The Hawkeyes will open the season with six nonconference games and one exhibition in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, two away games, and three neutral site games. They are matched up against five teams that appeared in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, including Princeton, Towson, Clemson, Iowa State, and Drake.

Iowa’s Big Ten play begins on December 28 at Nebraska and concludes at Rutgers on March 1.

Big Ten home/away matchups include Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, and Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes host Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, and Ohio State in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and travel to Michigan, Northwestern, Nebraska, Penn State, and Wisconsin.

The 18-game conference slate includes four weekend home dates, including Sunday matchups against Indiana (Jan. 12), Michigan State (Jan. 26), Wisconsin (Feb. 16) and Penn State (Feb. 23).

Iowa finished the 2018-19 season 29-7, overall, and advanced to the Elite Eight at the NCAA Tournament. The Hawkeyes come off a Big Ten Tournament Championship title, after tallying a 14-4 record to finish second in the Big Ten regular season. They return 10 letterwinners, including starters Kathleen Doyle, Makenzie Meyer, and Alexis Sevillian. Doyle was a first team All-Big Ten (coaches).

Tip times and television information will be announced at a later date. The complete 2019-20 schedule is also located on the Iowa women’s basketball schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.

Fans can request season tickets for the upcoming basketball season at the UI Athletics Ticket Office at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, over the phone at 1-800-IA-HAWKS, or online at hawkeyesports.com/tickets.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell announced Saturday that five players were voted as team captains for the 2019 season.

Campbell identified Ray Lima, Marcel Spears Jr., Josh Knipfel, Greg Eisworth and Brock Purdy as this year’s leaders selected by their teammates.

“You couldn’t ask for a better group of leaders,” Campbell said. “These guys have earned respect from their peers on the field and off the field, and have been catalysts in helping improve the culture inside our locker room.”

Lima joins recent Cyclone stars on the gridiron Brian Peavy, Allen Lazard, Joel Lanning and Kamari Cotton-Moya as a two-time team captain.

The defensive lineman has been one of Iowa State’s unsung heroes the last two seasons and a player singled out by Campbell as culture changer within the program.

The senior from Los Angeles, Calif., is a two-time All-Big 12 selection and has made a slew of preseason watch lists: Outland Trophy, Nagurski Trophy, Wuerffel Trophy and Lott Impact Award.

Lima, who has started 21 games and racked up 59 tackles and 8.0 TFL in his career, is the epitome of the student-athlete. He earned his degree and was a First Team Academic All-Big 12 pick in 2018. He’s also accrued over 80 hours of community service work in his career.

Spears Jr., has been a stalwart for the Iowa State defense the last two seasons, starting 26 consecutive games at linebacker.

A native Olathe, Kan., Spears Jr., will enter his senior season with 180 tackles, 16.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks and four interceptions in his career. The two-time All-Big 12 selection has been named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week three times in his career.

Spears Jr., is on the Nagurski Trophy preseason watch list.

Knipfel grew up a diehard Cyclone fan in Hampton, Iowa and now adds team captain to his resume.

The senior offensive lineman has been a stabilizing force in the trenches the last two seasons, starting 26 consecutive games at right guard.

Knipfel was an Honorable Mention All-Big 12 selection and was voted the team’s top offensive lineman in 2018. He helped pave the way for 1,000-yard rusher and All-American David Montgomery and was a key part of the resurgence of the Cyclone offense in the final nine games (30.9 points per game).

Eisworth, a native of Grand Prairie, Texas, had an auspicious debut season for the Cyclones in 2018, earning Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year honors and First Team All-Big 12 accolades.

The junior safety started 12 games a year ago, leading the team in tackles per game (7.3). He also recorded 4.0 TFL, a sack, an interception, five pass breakups and two forced fumbles.

Eisworth, along with Lima and Spears, was named to the Big 12 Preseason First Team.

Purdy, a sophomore signal-caller from Gilbert, Ariz., produced one of the most prolific rookie seasons by a quarterback in school history in 2018, leading the team to a 7-2 record as a starter.

The Honorable Mention All-Big 12 pick and Big 12 True Freshman of the Year (ESPN) in 2018 set a slew of school records with his accurate arm and quick feet.

He broke or tied season school records in completion percentage (66.4), passing efficiency (169.9) and 300-yard passing games (three).

His 169.9 passing efficiency clip ranked sixth nationally and was the best by a FBS true freshman in NCAA history.

Purdy is on the Davey O’Brien Award, Maxwell Award and Manning Award preseason watch lists.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.

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(Radio Iowa) — A bold plan is being proposed to create a nationwide biking and hiking trail from Washington D-C to Washington state that would also cut a path through the heart of Iowa. Lisa Hein, senior director of conservation programs for the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, says the route across Iowa would encompass 465 miles of trail from Council Bluffs to Davenport. Already, 246 miles are complete, but don’t pump up your bike tires in anticipation just yet.

“In Iowa, trails have to apply for competitive grant funding and in the State Recreational Trails Fund there’s a million dollars,” Hein says. “That might do three miles of trail. At that rate, it’s going to take a few years but folks are plugging away at it.” Many of the trails in Iowa are existing, but creating the links between them would be a long process.

Still, the concept of a 37-hundred mile coast-to-coast trail of this sort is staggering — and alluring. “There’s a lot of interest and support across the country because it’s not just for bicycling,” Hein says. “People can get out and walk and run. These trails are really linear parks. Being able to connect across the country is pretty exciting from a transportation as well as recreation and tourism standpoints.”

Many segments of the proposed Great American Rail-Trail are to be built on former railroad beds, but it takes time to acquire other connecting tracts of the land, clear it, grade it and build the trails. “I’m optimistic that the interest and action and implementation of this will just continue to grow, especially as big visions like this are put forth by national organizations,” Hein says. “Iowa can be a very important piece to the entire puzzle.”

Current Iowa trails that would be incorporated under the plan include: Cedar Valley Nature Trail, High Trestle Trail, Raccoon River Valley Trail, the Heart of Iowa Trail and the T-Bone Trail. It will likely be several years before a truly statewide bicycle trail exists in Iowa, reaching from the Missouri River to the Mississippi. “I don’t know that we have really put a timeframe on it at this point,” Hein says. “This whole concept was just launched this spring. Folks are still getting a handle on it and working on how this vision could be implemented in Iowa.”

Learn more about the proposal at the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation website: http://www.inhf.org/blog/blog/the-great-american-railtrail/

Here’s a full list of the Iowa trails that would be incorporated in the effort:
• Government/Arsenal Bridge
• Mississippi River Trail/Riverfront Trail
• Running River Trail System
• Kent Stein to Deep Lakes Park Trail
• Hoover Nature Trail
• Cedar Valley Nature Trail
• Gilbert Drive Trail
• Evansdale Nature Trail
• River Forest Road Trail/Cedar River Levee Trail
• Cedar Valley Lakes Trail
• South Riverside Trail
• Cedar Prairie Trail
• Sergeant Road Trail
• Pioneer Trail
• Iowa River Trail
• Linn Creek Recreational Trail
• Iowa 330/US 30 Trail
• Heart of Iowa Nature Trail
• High Trestle Trail
• Raccoon River Valley Trail
• T-Bone Trail
• Railroad Highway Trail
• Valley View Trail
• Lake Manawa Trail
• Veterans Memorial Trail
• Western Historic Trails Center Link
• Iowa Riverfront Trail
• Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Matt Carpenter broke out of his slump with a homer and three hits, Dexter Fowler drove in three runs and the St. Louis Cardinals cruised to an 11-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies after a long rain delay. St. Louis, which has won seven of eight and 13 of 16, swept the four-game series by a combined score of 31-12. The Cardinals moved 2 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Cubs in the NL Central.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Ryan O’Hearn led off the 10th inning with his second homer of the game, sending Kansas City to a 9-8 win over the Cleveland Indians, whose playoff hopes were rocked by losing third baseman Jose Ramírez to a broken right hand. The Indians scored four in the ninth to tie it before O’Hearn’s homer helped the Royals salvage a wild series finale. Ramírez will have surgery Monday in New York and miss Cleveland’s playoff push.

UNDATED (AP) — In the past week, three pitchers were taken out with no-hitters in progress in the sixth inning or later, part of a growing trend in which managers are willing to go to the bullpen even when the starter has a chance to make history. In an era when complete games are rare, this isn’t a surprise, but it’s noteworthy all the same.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska softball coach Rhonda Revelle will continue leading the program after being placed on administrative leave in July. Athletic director Bill Moos announced Revelle’s return. He had placed Revelle on leave while school officials looked into concerns raised by players. The nature of the concerns were not disclosed.

w/ Chris Parks

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The Audubon Wheelers took full control early in the second half against East Mills and pulled away for a 61-26 victory in their opening game of the 2019 high school football season.

The two teams traded scores through the first half of play. A big turning point came late in the first half as East Mills was driving down by 5 at 25-20, but suffered back to back penalties to back them up. The Wolverines ended up turning the ball over on downs and the Wheelers took over on their own 8 yard line. Audubon then went 72 yards in 9 plays capped by a 3 yard touchdown run by Skyler Schultes with 20 seconds left in the half.  That gave the Wheelers a 31-20 lead at halftime.

Ethan Klocke had 3 touchdowns receiving and 1 rushing for the Wheelers

The second half became all Wheelers. Audubon forced a three and out for the Wolverines to open the half. Then the Wheelers scored on their first two possessions of the half to put the game out of reach.

Sklyer Schultes ran for 275 yards and 4 touchdowns for the Wheelers, three of those scores in the second half. Gavin Smith went 4-4 passing for 98 yards and two scores and ran for another. Ethan Klocke had a big game as well with six cathes for 139 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 40 yards and one more score.

Audubon will travel to face Remsen, St. Mary’s next week. East Mills heads back home to Malvern to host East Union.

Listen to the full postgame interview with Coach Birks and Ethan Klocke below.

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CLASS A

Martensdale-St. Marys 46, GMG, Garwin 8
Nodaway Valley 32, Central Decatur, Leon 24
B-G-M 62, Wayne, Corydon 26

CLASS 8-Man

Iowa Valley, Marengo 46, Collins-Maxwell 14
Audubon 61, East Mills 26
Ar-We-Va, Westside 56, Griswold 50, OT
Lenox 48, Bedford 32
Montezuma 61, Southeast Warren, Liberty Center 36
Baxter 68, Mormon Trail 32
Sidney 52, Seymour 16
Stanton 40, Murray 6

The Iowa Association of Track Coaches has released their official preseason cross country rankings for the 2019 season. Here is a look at area teams and individuals in the rankings and links to the full lists.

CLASS 1A

Girls Individual Rankings

1. Peyton Pogge, Tri-Center
3. Taylor Sporrer, Logan-Magnolia
4. Courtney Sporrer, Logan-Magnolia
10. Reagan Weinheimer, Nodaway Valley
13. Kylie Morrison, Logan-Magnolia
16. Violet Lapke, Logan-Magnolia
18. Katie Noah, Earlham
23. Sophia Broers, Nodaway Valley
25. Gabrielle Valencia, East Union
27. Julia Kock, AHSTW

Girls Team Rankings

1. Logan-Magnolia
9. Earlham
14. Tri-Center
Teams to Watch: AHSTW

Boys Individual Rankings

1. Joshua Baudler, Nodaway Valley
5. Noah Jorgenson, Sidney
12. Brett McGee, Tri-Center
13. Bennett Heisterkamp, St. Albert
16. Randy Jiminez, SE Warren
26. Isaac Timmerman, Mount Ayr
28. Zach Dixon, Earlham
30. Ben Breheny, Nodaway Valley

Boys Team Rankings

4. Earlham
5. Nodaway Valley
7. St. Albert
14. Ogden

CLASS 2A

Girls Individual Rankings

3. Ella Waddle, Panorama
4. Tori Castle, Treynor
9. Kate Crawford, ACGC

Girls Team Rankings

5. Panorama
13. ACGC
14. Shenandoah

Boys Individual Rankings

4. Louden Foster, West Central Valley
28. Baylor Bergren, Red Oak

Boys Team Rankings

6. DM Christian
13. Red Oak
Teams to watch: Treynor

CLASS 3A

Girls Individual Rankings

5. Taylor McCreedy, Atlantic
20. Braelyn Baker, Creston

Girls Team Rankings

4. Glenwood
7. Atlantic
8. Harlan

Boys Individual Rankings

2. Nate Mueller, ADM
23. Evan Brummer, Atlantic
26. Trey Gross, Harlan

Boys Team Rankings

11. Glenwood
12. Atlantic

Full Individual Rankings

Full Team Rankings

w/ Chris Parks

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